


The Daughter’s Choice

by Blake_Belladonna_Defence_Force



Series: Mama Bees [5]
Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, Minor Angst, soft fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 12:01:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29401641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blake_Belladonna_Defence_Force/pseuds/Blake_Belladonna_Defence_Force
Summary: In Menagerie, when a child turns three years of age, they are given an opportunity to pick one of three items representing Fun, Money and Intelligence.But there’s a fourth option that sometimes isn’t as obvious to the child’s caregivers;Family.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long
Series: Mama Bees [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2150673
Comments: 8
Kudos: 177





	The Daughter’s Choice

**Author's Note:**

> This one is set when young Alani is a little bit older, at around three years of age.

“Hey… Dad?”

Blake glances up from her food, meeting her father’s gaze nervously. Being back home was… strange. To be welcomed back by both of her parents with nothing but love and forgiveness was something she never thought that she would have. And yet, she sits across from her father, her mother on her right, and he looks at her with nothing but a father’s love and pride. 

How can he be proud of her when she’s not worthy of that pride?”

“Yes, sweetheart?” Ghira says, glancing up at her and smiling warmly. He tilts his head at her, giving her his full attention as he waits. “What is it?”

“Have… I ever made you cry?”

She’s not entirely sure where the question came from nor does she know why she wants to know. Her mother had cried the moment Blake had returned home so Blake already knew the answer to her mother’s tears. But with her father… she’s unsure.

“Three times.”

“... when I left?”

“That was the second time.” Ghira says gently, glancing at Kali and sharing a small smile with her as they nod, almost seeming to have a conversation that Blake can’t hear. “The first was when you were born. You were…  _ so _ small and fragile. You could fit in just  _ one  _ of my heads… but Gods, you had an opinion right from the start and you weren’t shy about using your voice in the slightest.” Ghira laughs, his voice a low and amused rumble as a nostalgic smile crosses his face. “I’m not so proud as to deny that I was scared of holding you. You were so small that I was afraid I would hurt you. But your mother gave me this incredibly exasperated look before handing you over to me and as I held you, you snuggled into my arms and I  _ knew,  _ more than ever before, that I wanted nothing more than to make sure that my little girl knew nothing but safety and love. I’m only sorry that I couldn’t keep that promise.”

“Dad…” Blake murmurs, feeling a wave of fondness for her parents as they exchange the same sad smiles to each other. In any other situation, she might have been amused at her father using the phrase “snuggled” but as it is, her heart breaks for the fact that he felt he had let her down. “You did what you could. I don’t- it’s not your fault.”

“We could have done more.” Ghira says firmly, clearing his throat roughly and giving Blake a gentle smile. “Now… the second time you made me cry… you were three years old. Traditionally, when a child turns three, we place them in front of three objects; a pen that represents intelligence, a lien that represents money and a toy that represent fun. I put you down and sat and waited… and what did you do?” Ghira says, laughing softly as his eyes most over, his smile shifting from one of sadness to affection. “You knocked them all to the side as though they meant  _ nothing  _ and you climbed into my arms. I didn’t even realise that there was another option; family.” 

Oh.

Blake blinks her tears and finds herself stunned by the expression on both of her parents’ faces, soft and warm and full of pride.

“And look at where you are now.” Kali speaks up, reaching over to Blake’s hand and squeezing it gently. “You chose family as a child and when you were scared and at your lowest, you chose family once more.”

For a moment, Blake is stunned… but then she’s quick to walk around to her parents and pull them into a group hug, holding them tightly as silent tears fall down all of their faces.

Family. That was her choice… and not just the ones she was born to. Should she get the chance, Blake finds herself wanting to choose the family that she had found too…

She just hopes that Ruby, Weiss and  _ Yang  _ are willing to choose her too.

* * *

“Okay, little sunflower. Mama’s gonna play a game with you.”

Blake bounces a three year old Alani on her hip, grinning as her daughter giggles happily. Laughing softly, she nuzzles her nose against Alani’s and smiles widely at her daughter. She had once thought that no sound could rival Yang’s laugh as Blake’s favourite thing… but Alani’s giggle  _ certainly  _ did. Hearing her daughter so happy and safe filled Blake’s heart with warmth and joy and she knows that Yang feels the same way. 

Humming a familiar song, she wanders into the centre of the living room and deposits Alani onto a large and fluffy blanket in front of three items; a pen, a lien and Alani’s favourite toy, a simple stuffed wolf that had been a gift from her Auntie Ruby. “Okay, baby girl. Pick one and show it to Mama.” Blake encourages gently, smiling softly as Alani focuses on the items in front of her.

Alani looks at them all, her little brow furrow as she focuses very hard on her task. Her ears flick back in concentration, and Blake smiles at sight of her one golden patch, before she shuffles forward and picks up the stuffed wolf… and throws it to the side with a tiny little “No! I don’t want that one!” that Blake finds adorable. She watches, feeling mildly confused by Alani throwing away her favourite toy, as Alani does the exact same thing to the lien card. For a moment, Blake wonders if this means she’ll choose the pen… before Alani picks it up and throws it away too.

“What are you doing, little one?” Blake chuckles, smiling fondly as Alani looks at the strewn about items. 

Alani lets out a little huff before looking at Blake and grinning brightly at her, her little cat ears perking up as she stands up and walks over as quickly as she can to Blake. Blake holds her breath, her eyes going wide, as Alani crawls into her lap and stands on Blake’s legs to better reach her face. Gently, Alani places her hands on Blake’s face and presses their foreheads together, her lilac eyes that remind Blake so much of Yang looking at her with nothing less than the love and awe of a child that adores her Mama. 

“I love you, Mama.” Alani squeaks, before planting a big kiss to Blake’s cheek. “Dith much!” Alani says loudly, her lisp becoming more pronounced in her excitement as she holds out her arms as wide as she can. “Until the end of time!”

Blake stares at her daughter for a moment, her mind slowly processing the fact that, much like Blake had as a toddler, Alani had chosen no material object but rather thrown them away and chosen family.

“You chose me.” Blake whispers, her eyes filling with tears as she curls her arms around Alani and brings her into a hug that the little girl snuggles into happily. Blake’s shoulders shake with barely contained sobs, tears spilling down her face as she kisses the top of her daughter’s head and holds her close.

“Baby? Did she choose yet—“ It’s in that moment Yang walks in and stares in wide eyed bewilderment at the sight of her wife sobbing on the floor with their daughter in her arms. “Blake? Baby, what happened?!” 

Blake looks up at her, smiling widely through her teas as Yang kneels worriedly by her side and she lets out a sniffle. “She chose me.”

Yang’s expression softens and looks down at Alani before leaning down to kiss the top of her head, earning a surprised squeak and an excited “Mommy’s here too!” A soft sigh, full of affection and sentiment, leaves Yang’s chest and she settles next to Blake to wrap her arms around them both. 

Blake happily settles into her arms, listening to the gentle song that her wife begins to hum under her breath and watching as Alani looks up at her mothers with a delighted smile. 

Family… it was a choice that Blake would never regret making.


End file.
